Thermoplastic schiffli embroidery and method of laminating same to base



Aug. 26, 1969 F. T. BRUNNER 3,463,692

SCH EMBROI THERMOPL IC I LI DERY AND METHOD IN NG SAME TO BASE ed March 22, 1965 1 H1 25M gf- F/G.4

Afro/Mey Unit-,ed safes Patent o 3,463,692 THERMOPLASTIC SCHIFFLI EMBROIDERY AND METHOD OF LAMINATING SAME TO BASE Frederick T. Brunner, Maywood, NJ., asslgnor to Brunner Bros. Co., North Bergen, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 441,442 Int. Cl. B321 31/20, 31/26 U.S. Cl. 156-306 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A Schili embroidery is provided in which thefront thread is of conventional natural or synthetic yarn and the rear or bobbin thread is of thermoplastic material. Upon the application of heat the thermoplastic thread which is principally on the rear surface serves to bind the embroidery to a supporting cloth4 without sticking to the source ofthe applied heat.

. however, have been unsatisfactory either because the adhesive stiflened the garment or failed to secure the embroidery in place after repeated washing and ironing.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fusible Schiliii embroidery which can be aclhered to a fabric support in a permanent manner.

Another object of the present invention `is to provide a Schitlii embroidery which can Ybe adhered to a fabric without need for sewing.

Still another object of the present invention is to adhesively secure Schiiiernbroidery to a fabric while maintaining the appearance and feel of sewn articles.

A further `object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, rapid method of securing Schiflii embroidery to a supporting fabric.

A feature of the present invention is the incorporation within the Schiliii embroidery of a thermoplastic yarn or thread.

Another feature of the present invention is the use of electronic heat sealing to secure the Schiflii embroidery to the supporting fabric.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, and the steps of the method, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention, and in which: 4

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a a Schifi embroidery applied thereto. FIGUREZ is a fragmentary view, greatly enlarged of the front or top edge portion of a Schitiii embroidery showing the pattern of the stitching.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 of the back or bottom edge portion of a Schiflii embroidery showing the pattern of the stitching.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 in FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the supporting fabric below the embroidery.

piece of fabric with ice FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, greatly enlarged, taken on line 5-5 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view greatly enlarged taken on line 6-6 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7. is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing the path of the front and back yarns in the Schiii embroidery.

FIGURE 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic showing of the manner in which the Schitlii embroidery is applied to the supporting fabric in the practice of"the present invention. p

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view greatly enlarged showing the condition of the embroidery after the application of heat and pressure. l

All Schitiii embroideries are manufactured through the use of a front or top thread and a bobbin or back thread. The two threads or yarn are ordinarily made of natural or synthetic fibers and are either identical in nature or used in any desired combination. In the well-known sewing machine stitch used in manufacturing Schiliii embroidery commercially, the front yarn is carried through the fabric by the needle, looped around the bobbinor back thread and pulled out of the fabric. The operation is then repeated as the fabric is moved] through the machine.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE l, 10 indicates aportion ofva support fabric to which a Schifiii embroidered design in the form of a butterfly 11 has been applied. The design 11 is outlined by stitching l2, best shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 4, and 7.

The stitching 12 of the Schiii embroidery consists of a front thread 13 and a bobbin thread 14. As shown in FIGURE 4, the front thread 13 passes through the support fabric and is looped around the bobbin thread as shown in FIGURE 7. The bobbin thread is thus entirely disposed on the back of the Schiii embroidery.

In the practice of the present invention the top yarn 13 may be made of any suitable fiber, natural or synjf thetic. The bobbin yarn 14, however, is selected from' one of the large number of commercially available synthetic fibers which. has the property of becoming thermoplastic in the presence of heat. Such fibers may be made either in whole or in part of polyethylene, a cellulose derivative plastic such as cellulose acetate or the like. However, it is essential that the melting point of the thermoplastic yam selected shall be higher than those associated with normal washing and ironing operations, of the order of 389 F.

In addition to the foregoing requirements for the practice of the present invention, it is important that the Schilili design be executed in such manner that a suliicient amount of bobbin yarn is exposed to the support fabric to insure a good bond between the embroidery design 11 and the said fabric.

Bonding or fusing of the Schiliii embroidery design to the support fabric is accomplished by bringing the two together with the thermo-plastic bobbin yarn 14 in corttact with the surface of the fabric 10 and subjecting the assembly to the heat and pressure of an electronic heat sealing machine indicated by the arrow 15 in FIGURE 8. The electronic heat sealing machine may be any one of the known commercially available devices used in the plastics industry to fuse or weld plastics together.

The high temperatures created within the yam 14 by the heat sealing machine cause it to become thermo-plastic and to invade the fibers of the fabric 10. As a result, upon cooling, an excellent mechanical bond is effected between the Schifiii embroidery 11 and the support fabric 10, which will withstand all of the normal forces of fabric use, including washing, ironing or even dry cleaning. Because the top yarn 13 is selected from fibers which are not thermo-plastic it will not adhere to the pressure platens of the heat sealing machine. As shown in FIG- URES 8 and 9, the finished article results in a Schiflii embroidery member 11 firmly secured to the fabric 10 by the thermo-plastic bobbin yarn 14. The narrow, continuous bonded area does not alter the feel of the finished article which remains as soft and pliable as sewn articles of this type.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a wide variety of Schifiii embroidery patterns may be used and the support fabric may be of any type of cloth, either woven or knitted of natural or synthetic fibers without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

One or more embroidered designs made in accordance with the present invention can be disposed upon a support fabric and bonded thereto in a fraction of the time required for sewing.

While the stitching illustrated in FIGURE 1 is disposed along the periphery of the Schiffli embroidery, it will be apparent that such stitching may also comprise all or nearly all of the body of the pattern in accordance with the present invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An embroidery element of the Schiffli type comprising an ornamental pattern, stitching defining said pattern said stitching comprising a top yarn substantially disposed upon the front of the embroidery element and a bobbin yarn of thermo-plastic material substantially disposed upon the back of the embroidery element.

2. An embroidery element of the Schili type comprising an ornamental pattern, stitching defining said pattern and disposed along the periphery thereof, said stitching comprising a top yarn substantially disposed upon the front of the embroidery element and a bobbin yarn of thermo-plastic material substantially disposed upon the back of the embroidery element.

3. An embroidery element according to claim 1 in which the bobbin yarn is disposed over a substantial portion of the back of the embroidery element.

4. The method of securing a Schiii embroidery to a support fabric which comprises the steps of employing a thermo-plastic yarn as the bobbin yarn for the embroidery, placing the embroidery upon the support fabric with the thermo-plastic yarn in contact with said fabric, softening the said yarn, pressing the softened thermo-plastic yarn into intimate contact with the fibers of the support fabric allowing the yarn to cool while in such contact whereby a mechanical bond is effected between the embroidery and the support fabric. 'y

5. The method of securing a Schiffli embroidery to support fabric which comprises the steps of employing a thermo-plastic yarn as the bobbin yarn for the embroidery, placing the embroidery upon the support fabric with the thermo-plastic yarn in contact with said fabric, softening the said yarn by the application of electronic heat, pressing the softened thermo-plastic yarn into intimate contact with the fibers of the support fabric allowing the yarn to cool while in such contact whereby a rnechanical bond is effected between the embroidery and the support fabric.

6. The method of securing a Schiffli embroidery to a support fabric which comprises the steps of employing a thermo-plastic yarn as the bobbin yarn for the embroidery covering a substantial portion of the back of the embroidery with the bobbin yarn, placing the embroidery upon the support fabric with the thermo-plastic yarn in contact with said fabric, softening the said yarn by the application of electronic heat, pressing the softened thermo-plastic yarn into intimate contact with the fibers of the support fabric allowing the yarn to cool while in such contact whereby a mechanical bond is effected between the embroidery and the support fabric.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,869,386 8/1932 Marzak 1l2266 XR 2,209,238 7/1940 Sperber 156-306 XR 2,639,255 5/1953 Meyer 161-97 2,714,758 8/ 1955 Woodson 112--403 2,765,814 10/1956 Jordan 139-426 FOREIGN PATENTS 514,934 7/1955 Canada. 806,698 12/1958 Great Britain.

ROBERT F. BURNE'IT, Primary Examiner W. A. POWELL, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

112-266, 439; ll- 39, 97, 149, 413, l5() 

